Switch box holder



Aug. 25,1931.

P. L. JUDD ET AL SWITCH BOX HOLDER Filed Jan. 30. 1929 Patented Au 25, 1931 UNITED ss'mrlzs rnncnnu. L. mm), or

, AT NT. OFFICE LAKEWOOD, mi. 1;. arxmso'ngorrax VILLAGE, AND Box A.

-A NDEB8QN, or LAKEW'OOD, onro swrrcn BOX Herman I App llcationflled January 80, 1929.- erial No. 338,041.

'. This invention relates to switch boxholders and particularly to holders for wall which the box may be secured and which will hold the free ends of the l'aths cut to accommodate the switch box.

- scribed and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accom anying drawings Fig. 1 1s a perspective View of the holder; Fig. 2 a front elevation of a switch box secured in a wall by the holders shown in dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line H of- Fig. 2; and 5 is a' fragmentary rear elevation of a switch box secured-in a lath and plaster wall illustratin how the holder may be bent to hold the free ends of the laths.

In describing mv invention and the manner in which it is used, reference is made to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts in the severalviews.

- metal in any known manner.

The holder of my invention which is shown in perspective in Fig. lot the drawingsand which is designated generally by reference numerals comprises a relatively thin fiat sheet metal strip 11 with two integral fingers 12 extending laterally from one edge and located near the center thereof. The holder may be stamped or otherwise cut from sheet It will be obvious as'the description proceeds that there may be only one wide finger adapted to' receive the nails or. screws 12 or more than two, but it has been found "that the device as shown is preferred.

Thewall'switch box 15 shown in the drawing is the common box now on the market with the attaching ears 16 which in the particular type illustrated are adjustable, and are secured to the box 15 by screws 17. The outwardly projecting portions 18 of .the ears 16 are ordinarily rovided with apertures 119 v y which the box is secured to the wall. 7

In securing the box 15 in place with the holders 10, the wall board .20 is provided with the usual aperture 21 slisrhtly larger than the box 15 to be inserted. By holding to the I fingers 12 a holder 10 is inserted through the aperture, with the fingers projecting outwardly therethrough and positioned against one side of the aperture 21 with the inner edge ofthe strip 11 pulled tightly against the back side of the wall board the fingers 12, or one of them is bent over the front of the board, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4:. One holder is placed at each of the two vertical sides of the opening'21. The box 15 is then pushed in place and with the cars 18 pressed tightly against the front of the wall board the fingers 12 of the holder are bent inwardly over the edge of the box 15 and into the position shown in full lines' in Fig. 4. The box is now held securely in itsplace. The edge of the strip 11 bites into the back of the board 20 so thatwhen nroperlv put in they will not slip up or down after the fingers 12 are bent into place over the edge of the box.

It is-preferable to bend the ends of the strip 11 in an are, as shown in-Fig. 2 before the holder is inserted in the wall, the outer lateraly deflected ends tending to prevent tilting of the strip when they areinitially held in place prior to inserting the box 15 and provide a more substantial. bearing against the rear of the wall surface. The flexibility of the strip 11 also permits it to be bent around obstacles in the wall so thatt-hese holders can be used in places where it would be almost impossible to put in reinforcing blocks.

In Fig. 5 the holder 10 is illustrated in use 1 in a wall constructed with lath and plaster.

By bending the ends of the strip 11 into a U-shape' the free ends of the intermediate lath 25 are securely held in place and the outer ends of the strip 11 engage the laths 25 which have notbeen cut. The laterally extending'ears 18 on the box being pressed tightly against the front side of this lath, the box 15 is held tightly in place.

It is of course obvious that the strip 11 may be long or short and the fingers 12 made long enough to accommodate any thickness of wall. The box 15 is readily removed by merely bending the fingers 12 away therefrom.

The holders 10 are .usually made from thin sheet iron but any sheet metal which is fiexible and still sufficiently strong to answer the purpose may of course be used.

It is obvious that the holder 10 may be used to hold any receptacle in an opening in the iame manner as illustrated with the switch Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A switch box holder, adapted to support a switch box in an opening in a support comprising a thin flat sheet metal strip having a lateral extension projecting from one edge thereof adapted to engage over the outer edge of a switch box.

2. A switch box holder, adapted to support a switch box inan opening in a support comprising'a thin flat sheet metal strip adapted to be bent in any desired shape, having lateral extensions projecting from one edge thereof, adapted to be bent to engage over the outer edge of a switch box.

3. In combination with a support having an opening, a receptacle arranged in said opening, means for preventing rearward movement of said receptacle in said opening and a device having a portion engaging the rear side of said support and means extending therefrom engaging the front edge of said receptacle for rigidly holding said receptaele in place, said device being non-resilient:

in the direction of movement of said receptacle when inserted into or taken out'of said support.

4. In combination with a support having an opening therein and a receptacle fitting into said opening, of means for rigidly securing the same therein comprising means cooperating with saidweceptacle engaging the support for preventing rearward movement of said receptacle in said opening and means said support comprising a member engaging the rear side of said support, an extensionsecured thereto passing through said opening and engaging the front of said receptacle,

said last mentioned means being non-resilient in the direction of movement of said receptacle when inserted into said opening whereby said receptacle is rigidly secured in place.

6. In combination with a support having an opening therein, a receptacle having projections thereon positioned in said opening with the projections engaging the front side of the support, a thin sheet metal strip having a lateral extension projecting outwardly from one edge thereof engaging the rear side of said support, said lateral extension projecting outwardly between said receptacle and said support and engaging over the front edge of said receptacle whereby the receptacle is rigidly secured in place.

7. In-combination with a wall having an opening, a wall 'sWitch box positioned in said opening and having ears engaging the front side of said wall, a relatively thin sheet metal holder comprising a strip having a lateral extension projecting from one edge thereof outwardly between the switch box and wall, the strip engaging the rear side of said wall and the extension engaging the front edge of said switch box whereby the same is rigidly secured in place.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto affix engaging the rear side of said support having a member extending outwardly between said receptacle and the edge of said opening and, engaging said receptacle for rigidly holding the same in said support, this last mentioned member being non-resilient in a dlrection perpendicular to the plane of said support. 

